Gatti Blog

Women, during pregnancy or lactation you may experience a flood of different emotions, but fear of harming your baby due to over the counter medication use should not be one of them. Unfortunately, our bodies are not always in perfect health during this time and you may experience a variety of different symptoms from the common cold, to nausea, heartburn, pain or constipation. There are many dietary and lifestyle changes you can make to help relieve some of your symptoms, but when you decide a medication is necessary how will you know which one is the safest?

Here is a list of common symptoms you may experience while pregnant or breast feeding and some tips for safely managing them:Pain/fever

Apply ice or heat to the painful area

Use topical pain relieving creams or gels

Tylenol (acetaminophen) can be used safely but should be used for the shortest time period possible

Anti-inflammatories (Ex: Advil or ibuprofen, Aleve or naproxen) SHOULD NOT be used at all during the third trimester, but can be used during breastfeeding

Constipation

Increase your intake of dietary fiber, which can be found in many foods such as: oatmeal, whole grains, fruits, green leafy vegetables, nuts or prunes/prune juice

Increase the amount of water you drink

Bulk forming laxatives like Metamucil, FiberCon, or Citrucel may be used when needed

Diarrhea

Drink lots of fluids to help prevent dehydration (recommended that you drink 1 cup (8oz) of fluids for each loose stool that you have)

Eating bananas, toast, rice, or applesauce may help decrease your number of episodes of diarrhea

Try to avoid eating before lying down or try sleeping with your head slightly elevated

Antacids (Ex: Tums or calcium carbonate products) may be used as needed

Nausea/Vomiting

Try eating small, frequent meals that contain bland foods

Ginger or ginger ale may help relieve symptoms

Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) 25mg every 6-8 hours has been shown to provide some relief of symptoms

Antihistamines like doxylamine 25mg daily or dimenhydrinate 50mg every 4-6 hours may be used in pregnancy

It is always good to double check with your pharmacist about the safest dose of these medications for you!

These medications should be avoided in breastfeeding due to the potential to cause drowsiness in your baby and may decrease your milk production

Common Cold

Rest and drink lots of fluids

Drink hot tea or use a humidifier

Nasal saline is the recommended product to help relieve sinus congestion

Decongestants should be avoided in lactation because they may decrease milk production

If you are experiencing any symptoms that you are not sure how to properly manage you can always talk to one of your Gatti pharmacists. They know all of the over the counter products that can be safely used in pregnancy and lactation and can help you choose the best treatment option for your symptoms!